Wan-an drills to be held Feb. 26 nationwide

TAIPEI, Taiwan -- The Ministry of National Defense (MND) yesterday announced that the annual Wan-an (萬安) air raid and disaster relief drill will be held later this month in 11 counties and cities around the country.

During a regular news briefing yesterday, the MND said the annual drill will be divided into two parts, with the first part of the exercise focusing on testing the nation's natural disaster rescue and relief operations in eastern Hualien County on Feb. 26.

Another 10 cities and counties around the country will follow suit and hold similar drills until May 9, it noted.

The drills are to be held since extreme weather has resulted in serious natural disasters around the globe and Taiwan's geography makes it vulnerable to typhoons, floods and earthquakes, according to the MND.

A second part of the annual Wan-an drill, a 30-minute air raid exercise, will be staged separately in cities and counties in Taiwan as well as in the outlying islands of Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu between May and June.

Residents in those areas are urged to stay inside buildings or follow instructions for evacuation during the 30-minute drill, while operators of vehicles will be required to pull over, the MND said. Failure to do so could result in fines.

The exact time and date for the air raid drill will be announced by local governments prior to their commencement, it noted.